Allegra Abrams and Oli Perez were selected as winners of a PacSun and Fashion Scholarship Fund competition that sought original gender-neutral designs. Photo: PacSun
FASHION COMPETITION
PacSun, Fashion Scholarship Fund Select Winners of Gender-Neutral Design Competition
After more than 200 students submitted designs for an original gender-neutral collection, PacSun and the Fashion Scholarship Fund named two winners.
The competing students came from the FSF Alumni and the Class of 2021 FSF Scholars, and came up with original ideas when designing their capsules. After the field was whittled down to eight finalists, competitors presented their collections earlier this month to a panel of industry leaders with Allegra Abrams and Oli Perez selected as the winners.
“It is incredible to see the upcoming generation of fashion leaders and their concepts for the future of fashion, that reject gender binaries and promote individuality and freedom of expression,” Brieane Olson, president of PacSun, said. “At PacSun, we are committed to offering innovative gender-neutral collections, and the two winners align perfectly with our mission. We are thrilled and honored to foster their journey and bring their designs to life.”
Abrams currently attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is earning a Bachelor of Science in Textiles and Fashion Design with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Sustainability. She is also a 2021 FSF Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholar. Perez graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Fashion Design from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and was a 2018 FSF Scholar.
As winners, Abrams and Perez will have the chance to work with PacSun’s design and product development team to have their collections created and sold at PacSun stores and online later this year.
“The FSF received an impressive breadth of gender-neutral design submissions, a reflection of the remarkable and diverse talent in our network of scholarship winners,” Peter Arnold, executive director of the Fashion Scholarship Fund, said. “Ultimately, Allegra Abrams and Oli Perez were selected for presenting highly original, well-executed concepts. We are so grateful to PacSun for joining us in our mission to create an all-encompassing space that allows for the next generation of fashion talent to showcase their creative visions.”
